Railroad-crossing signal.



R0. 6613,348. Patented Feb. I9, l90l.

8. (JOHN. RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

I (Aplication filed July 13, 1900 (No Model.)

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No. 668,348.- Patented Feb. I9, mm.

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' [Application filed July 13, 1900.)

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SILAS COON, OF ASHLAND, KENTUCKY.

RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,348, dated February19, 1901.

- Application filed July 13,1900. Serial No. 23,483. tNo model.)

To aZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAs COON, a citizen of the United States, residingat Ashland, in the county of Boyd and State of Kentucky, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossing Signals; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is the produc tion of a crossing-signal whichshall be operated by a passing train when going in either direction orin one direction and upon a single or double track; which shall beautomatic in operation, thus dispensing with the pres ence of anattendant; which shall display a light signal by night and a coloredsignal by day; which shall sound a bell or gong by night and day; whichshall be comparatively simple in construction and cheap to install andmaintain, and which withal shall constitute a superior instrumentalityfor performing the functions of a reliable automatic signaling devicefor crossings.

With the above end in view my invention consists in certain noveltiesof-construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, hereinafterset forth, and specified in the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an example of the physicalembodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I haveso far devised for the practical application of the principle.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a railroadtrack and a crossing with mysignal appara tus shown in connection therewith, the signal-tower beinglocated near the track and the operating mechanism brought near thetower for the purpose of illustrating the several parts and thecrossing-planks being removed to show the location of theconnecting-wire. Fig. 2 is a view of the tower with one of the sidesremoved. Fig. 3 is an illustration of the blinds and bell or gongdetached from the tower. Fig. 4 shows one of the relief-springmechanisms in section. Fig. 5 is a section of a rail and an elevationalView of the lever mechanism. Fig. 6 illustrates a sliding bar and anoperating-bar in perspective. Fig. 7 shows a guide-frame in perspective.

Referring to the several views, the n umeral 1 designates thesignal-tower, made in any suitable shape, of any suitable material, andof any desired dimensions; 2, the perpendicular sides, which may be ofmetal or wood; 3, two bullseyes located in the upper part of the tower;4, perpendicular openings at the sides of the tower; 5, a shelf for alamp, located, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the flame of the lamp will bein line with the bulls-eyes; 6, the rocking blinds; 7, the pivotbolt onwhich the blinds rock; 8, thelower part of the blinds; 9, three bolts,which unite the lower parts; 10, ferrules on the bolts; 11, a hell orgong; 12, the rocking signal-blades, which may be of any desirable size,color, and material; 13, pivotal pins or bolts about which the bladesturn; 14, the projecting ends of the blades; 15, the arms of the blades;16, triangular pivoted levers at the bottom of the tower; 17, a rod orbolt on which the levers are pivoted; 18, wires which unite the leversand the arms of the blades; 19, relief-springs; 20, a tube; 21, an eye;22, acap with a central hole; 23, aspring; 24, a rod with an eye; 25, anut and washer; 26, triangular levers pivotally secured to thecross-ties; 27, wires uniting levers 16 and. 26, as indicated in Figs. 1and 2; 28, wires which extend along the track to any desired point; 29,a rail; 30, a frame, made of any material and secured to the rail andcross-ties; 3l,arms at right angles to the rail; 32, slots in the arms;33, slide-bars; 34, slots in the slidebars; 35, supports for springs inthe slots; 36, relief-springs; 37, sliding blocks located in the slots;38, operating-bars; 39, pins at the ends of the bars; 40, levers ortriggers; 41, the projecting ends of the levers adjacent the rail; 42,fulcrum-bolts; 43, the long arms of the levers; 44, washers; 45, boltsuniting the long arms of the levers and the operatingbars, and 46 is afragment of a car-wheel.

The modus operandi of the signal mechanism is as follows: When a trainapproaches from the left in Fig. 1, the tread of the wheel will strikethe end 41 of the lever 40 and rotate it about the fulcrum-bolt 42,which action will force the operating-bar 38 against the spring 36 andmove the sliding bar 33 in the slots. The wire 28, secured to the end ofthe sliding bar, will rock thetriangular lever 26, which in turn willrock the triangular lever 16 and draw down the wire 18 in the tower.This movement rotates a blade 12 and throws it out to the position shownin Fig. 2. While being rotated to a horizontal position the projectingend 14 of the blade will engage a ferrule 10 and rock the blinds 6 fromin front of the bulls-eyes, allow the light from the lamp to passoutwardly, and at the same time ring the hell or gong. This operationwill of course be repeated as the end of the lever is successivelystruck by the.

wheels. Theoperation is the same when a train approaches from the right.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theillustrations, it becomes evident that I have produced a crossing-signaldevice which fulfils all the conditions set forth as the purpose orobject of my in vention. While I have shown only one example of thephysical embodiment of my improvement, I do not thereby intend to limitthe scope of the invention to such specific example, inasmuch as manychanges may be made in practical application of the same in differentsituations. The signal-tower may be of any dimensions desired andlocated in any position relative to the track and crossing, the light beof any color, the blades be of any shape, color, size, and material, themechanism in connection with the track may be located at any distancefrom the tower, one thousand feet, as indicated, or at a greater or lessdistance therefrom, the lever mechanism be changed in form andconstruction, and the remaining elements of the mechanism altered atwill. When a double track is used, the track mechanisms will of coursebe located on different tracks and the connections to the tower made inany desirable operative way.

Many other modifications may be introduced, equivalents substituted, andalterations made which are colo'rable in their nature, and theemployment of which I shall not regard as constituting a substantialdeparture from my invention.

What I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Thecombination in a railroad-crossing signal, of a tower provided with twobullseyes; two blinds suitably pivoted; a rocking signal-blade atriangular lever at the bottom of the tower; a wire uniting the bladeand triangular lever; a lever or trigger in connection with the track; asliding bar; and a wire uniting the sliding bar and the triangular leverin the tower.

2. The combination in a railroad-crossing signal, of a tower providedwith two bullseyes; two blinds suitably pivoted in the tower; twosignal-blades; two triangular levers at the bottom of the tower; wiresconnecting the triangular levers and the signal-blades; two op -eratingmechanisms in connection with the track, one located at a suitabledistance to the left of the tower and the other at the right of thetower, and each mechanism embracing a lever or trigger, anoperating-bar, a slide-bar, and a wire uniting the slide-bar and atriangular lever at the bottom of the tower.

3. The combination in a railroad-crossing signal, of lever mechanismlocated adjacent the rail embracing an operating-lever; a trigger and aslide-bar; a tower containing a pivoted signal-blade having an arm and aprojecting end; two blinds adapted to be operated by the projecting endof the blade; two bulls-eyes in the tower; and a wire uniting thesignal-blade and the operating mechanism adjacent the track.

4. The combination in a railroad-crossing signal, of a towerhavingsuitable signal mechanism therein; operating mechanism adjacent arail consisting of a lever or trigger suitably pivoted, anoperating-bar, a slide-bar having a slot and relief-spring; and a wireuniting the operating mechanism and the signal mechanism in the tower.

5. The combination in a railroad-crossing signal, of a tower having abell or gong pivotally supported therein; means for moving the bell;operating mechanism adjacent a rail consisting of a pivoted lever ortrigger adapted to be struck by a car-wheel, an operatingbar', and aslide-bar movable within slots made in a frame; and a wire uniting theslide-bar and the means for moving the bell.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SILAS OOON.

Witnesses:

Tnno. PFEIFER, GEO. W. Moonn.

